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If you find yourself in a situation where are you accused of committing a crime, chances are you are not going to know what happens next. If you or someone you know gets arrested, indicted, or charged with a crime it is time to call an experienced criminal defense attorney. Criminal defense attorneys can assist you with every step of the process, and ensure that you are protected to the greatest extent possible. Waiting to decide to call an attorney until after the arrested happens will simply be too late. Calling a criminal defense attorney in Houston, TX, is the safest way to ensure you are protected. This article will help you understand what happens after you are accused of a crime. Investigation The first thing that happens when you are accused of a crime is that the police department will investigate the situation to determine whether there is enough evidence to formally charge you with an offense. If you are being investigated based on incident, people from the police department may call witnesses to ask them questions, you to hear your side of the story, or others who know a lot about you to determine what kind of evidence they have against you. This process can take months in some instances. Some people start to feel a sense of relief if they are not immediately arrested or charged with a crime after the incident that triggered the investigation. Unfortunately, this feeling may be premature. A good criminal defense attorney can work behind the scenes and try to convince the police that they do not have enough evidence to actually charge you with a crime. Since this investigation process can take so long, it is important to call an attorney right away. Charge You are not necessarily going to be arrested if you are charged with a crime. Most crimes do not require a formal arrest from officers. Many minor drug and weapon offense (referred to as misdemeanors in most jurisdictions) do not require arrest by an officer. You may simply get papers in the mail from court indicating you are being charged. These papers may look similar to a speeding ticket, or may be more formal depending on your jurisdiction. Once you are charged you have the option of requesting a court date. For more serious offenses, a court date is set automatically for you. If you take the time to hire an attorney the attorney can help you with any court appearance you amy need to attend. At court you will have the option of pleading guilty or not guilty. If you plead not guilty, your case may go to trial, or the attorney representing the police (the prosecutor) may agree to lower the charge in exchange for you pleading guilty. If you plead guilty, you pay a fine and agree to any restrictions that are placed on you by the judge. Arrest For more serious offenses you are formally arrested and taken into police custody. Police typically cannot hold you for more than 24 hours time without formally charging you with an offense, but they can arrest you to simply investigate an incident as long as they have a legitimate reason to do so, and release you within 24 hours if they do not decide to charge you. If you are arrested, the police will watch very closely how you act and document every word you say. This is why it is so important to call an criminal defense attorney in Houston, TX, right away. Informing the police that you will not talk to them without an attorney present is always a good idea.
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